


An Unspoken Bond

by VividDayDreamer



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: AgentCorp, Alex and Lena are married, Blood and Violence, Don’t copy to another site, Eventual Happy Ending, F/F, Gen, Kara arrives on a different Earth, Kara gets homesick and misses Alex, Kara just wants to get home, Kryptonians invaded Earth, Kryptonite is everywhere, She starts to bond with this Earth's Alex, War for control of Earth is an ongoing mess, Wars
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2020-02-26
Packaged: 2020-05-31 17:56:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19431145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VividDayDreamer/pseuds/VividDayDreamer
Summary: Coming back from a mission to help Barry and his friends, Kara finds herself flung through a portal and onto an Earth, that she quickly realizes isn't her own.  Here, Kryptonians and humans were battling each other for control over the planet.  Cities were decimated, and everyone was on edge.  The DEO remained as the top force authorized to protect the inhabitants of their world.  Alex Danvers, Director of the DEO, and her wife, Lena Luthor, CEO of L-Corp, have teamed up, combining their resources and efforts to combat the alien invaders.Over time, the two have worked hard to advance weapons and defense systems, hoping to get an upper-hand on the war.  Lena's latest creation is a Kryptonite serum that can be used on humans to act as both a method of self-defense, and as a weapon.  It remained untested when Alex decides to use it on herself, a desperate act to ensure some success in rescuing Lena when she is suddenly kidnapped by the invaders.With Kryptonite everywhere and without anyone to lean on for help, Kara struggles as best she could, wishing to just return home.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

>   
> 
> 
> Things of Note:
>   * **This story has been labeled Mature for the fairly violent fight/death scenes.**
>   * There is a major character death here, but, you don't really notice it as much. Hard to explain without giving much away.
> 

> 
>   
> 
> 
> Happy reading.  
> 

"Hey babe. How's the serum coming along?" Alex asked as she stood in the control center, silently directing her agents to their assigned tasks for the day. At the large screen, she pointed out targetted locations to secure, then pointed to the squad that was in charge of it. The world was a constant battleground, and they were always on the move with little time in between to do any much else. Multi-tasking was part of the routine by now. 

_"It's going," Lena breathed tiredly. She had been working on the bio-weapon for quite some time now, with progress that came slower than she'd like. "I've gotten it stable on a cellular level. It should no longer be lethal to its host."_

"That's great progress, Lee," Alex said with enthusiasm. She quickly eyeballed Winn, motioning him to keep his attention locked on the Kryptonian forces that hovered in the sky, rather than tinker with the forcefield generator that admittedly could use modifying. In reality, both were very critical pieces to their defenses, but monitoring their enemies was always top priority. 

_"It is," she sighed. "But I'm still not sure how it'll behave once injected. I'm worried that there may be some adverse effect that I'm missing. Introducing a foreign component into the biology of a human...something that isn't even of this world naturally...I'm concerned about deterioration. There's definitely a possibility of the serum interfering with basic life-sustaining functions..."_

"I thought you said it wasn't lethal..." 

_"Right. It's not lethal, meaning it won't kill you right off the bat, and I have no proof that it will. However...the purpose of the serum is to give us an edge when fighting the Kryptonians, Alex. It's a temporary introduction of a chemical compound to give our soldiers a fighting chance to survive out there, but I don't want it to weaken them over time." She took a deep breath, and with her free hand, placed her forefingers and thumb on her temples, squeezing and releasing, in hopes to relieve the pressure._

"Are you ready to make the final test then? To confirm or deny any of these theories?" Alex asked pensively. She now stood unmoving, staring at the ground, focused on the gravity of her words. 

_"A live subject test, you mean."_

Alex nodded out of reaction before she uttered a verbal, "Yes." 

  


Hearing nothing on the other end of the line, she knew that Lena was hesitant and stressing about the thought.

  


"Babe," Alex said, cutting through the silence. "I know this is hard. Test trials on human subjects are never an easy decision, but—" 

_"I know, Alex," she sighed. "I know."_

  


Alex waited to hear her wife's next words, not wanting to pressure the woman any more than necessary. Their circumstances already provided enough of that already.

  


_"Do you have anyone in mind?" Her words were soft. Lena had done human trials before, and though majority of the time, her efforts proved successful, those few times where it hadn't, always weighed heavy on her mind. Human sacrifice to this nature was never one she was fond of, despite the willingness of the participants to help benefit the advancement of science, firm in the belief of bettering the survival of their race._

"I have a list prepared," Alex responded as she tapped on her tablet. 

  


She stared at the names of a handful of men and women, who courageously were willing to offer themselves for such an endeavor. She remembered never even having to ask twice. Hands rose then, faces hardened with determination. When they stepped forward to acknowledge their decision, Alex looked straight into their eyes, searching for any doubt, or hesitation, or fear, but with each one of them, a single nod was all Alex got in return. Silently swallowing her emotions, she recalled having each sign agent off on that very tablet. These were _her_ agents. _Her_ people. And she was damn proud of every one of them.

  


_"Do you have anyone in particular to start with?" Lena asked with a slight shake to her voice._

"I'll call a meeting. See which one of them is willing. Just in case they've changed their minds." 

_"Okay. Send them to the lab when they're ready. I'll be waiting."_

"I'll be in contact soon." 

_"I love you."_

"Love you back." 

  


  


* * *

  


  


It was thirty minutes later when Alex had finally assembled her volunteers into the war room. They all stood firm and ready. Some of them had concerns as to what brought about their attendance. Alex looked them over once more before proceeding.

  


"I've called you all in because we're ready to begin testing on our experimental serum," she said with a neutral tone. "You've all been willing to be part of the next phase, and I applaud your bravery. However, I'm sure that some of you may have had some time to ponder your decision and what that would mean to you. I'm calling out for a volunteer to be the first one to take this on. I will not fault any of you, if you've changed your minds since then. I will not judge you for any decision you wish to make here and now."

  


The room was silent for a moment. Eyes darted around, watching to see if anyone would make the first move. It wasn't hesitation, but curiosity. These agents were always willing to sacrifice their lives for the good of the world, so their loyalty and determination was never in question. Instead, they were anxious to see which of them would be the bravest.

Before anyone had the chance to do anything though, alarms blared throughout the compound, stealing away their attention. Alex ran out of the room and headed to the command center.

  


"Winn! What's going on?!"

"They're attacking!" he said frantically, as he worked to pull up every bit of data he had on the attack. "They've hit L-Corp and—"

  


Before Winn could say another word, Alex was already on the move.

  


"Alpha teams one and two let's move! Lucy—"

"I've got it Alex. Go!" Lucy ordered, acknowledging the unsaid task of handling things in the DEO.

  


Alex nodded, then raced out with her teams towards L-Corp. On her way over, she tried phoning Lena, but there was no answer on the other end.

  


  


* * *

  


  


By the time they had gotten there, the lab had been ransacked with no sign of Lena.

  


"Dammit!" she grunted furiously, gritting her teeth.

"Director," one of the agents called out. "Everything's clear. There's no signs of the Kryptonians anywhere."

  


Tense and aggravated, she radioed out to Winn.

  


"Winn, where are they now?"

_"I'm looking, boss," he said somewhat distracted as he utilized every satellite reading he could get to find any trace of their signatures._

"Fuck," Alex growled quietly. Her eyes shut tightly with clenched fists pushing down hard on the dishevelled work surface, full of broken glass and tattered objects. Of all the things she ever wanted to keep safe, it was Lena. She cursed herself for not having placed better security around her wife's lab.

_"Alex. I...I got something," she heard over her comm._

"What is it?" Alex responded with bated breath.

_"There's a cluster...the heat signatures match that of the Kryptonians..."_

"Are you sure it's _them_? We need to find her!"

_"It's them, Alex. Lena activated some sort of beacon. Its signal is strong enough to be hers. The technology used to produce this sort of wavelength...it's her, Alex. It's definitely her," he finally said with confidence radiating in his tone._

"Yes, Lena!" she quietly shouted to no audience in particular. "Winn, send over the coordinates. Cobra team, out!"

  


Alex looked around the lab once more as she watched her agents fall out. She noticed a steel case under one of the fallen workstations. Opening it, she found Lena's serum. She stared at the chemical compound, glowing green in its bottled housing. It didn't take her more than a few seconds to make her decision. Facing the Kryptonians half the time felt like a gamble, with each side advancing their technologies and strategies bit by bit to get the upper-hand. Knowing that Lena was held captive, she didn't want to risk the chance. Carefully, she pulled out one of the viles and filled a syringe, then rolled up her sleeve. She looked down at her arm, eyeing the crook of her elbow before closing her eyes.

  


"I'll save you Lena. Hold on. I'm coming."

  



	2. Chapter 2

  


While the DEO was preoccupied with the latest Kryptonian attack, a large bluish swirl opened up in the sky. Within a second, a woman was thrown out of the portal, and landed directly onto a pile of rubble. Disoriented, it took her a minute to stand. When she did, she heard loud voices shouting in her direction.

  


Witnessing the anomaly, a soldier called out, "Who are you?! State your purpose, alien!" Her voice was laced with venom. The toll of war weighed heavy on most people then, with aliens bringing nothing but death and destruction to their home planet.

  


Alarmed, Kara stood in a non-threatening stance, her hands up in surrender.

  


"I'm not a threat!" she shouted. "You can put your weapons down."

"Answer the question!"

  


Normally, she didn't even have to state who she was in order to be recognized. Confused, Kara looked down, realizing that she wasn't wearing her usual Supergirl attire. Instead, because of her last mission, she was wearing a modified battle suit, specifically engineered to withstand most outside elements in cases when she was the most vulnerable; a gift, courtesy of Lena before she left. However, in their haste, the Supergirl emblem was not embedded in her suit as it normally was, nor were her colors displayed. Instead, it bore dark steel and metal. With the helmet placed upon her head, she looked like a Halo soldier.

Deciding to prove that she wasn't posing any danger, she disabled the shielding around her face, revealing her "human" appearance. The commanding officer and her men approached her warily, guns aimed diligently at her. However, before they got too close, Kara winced, feeling the effects of a familiar element weakening her, choking her lungs, and burning through her veins. She stepped back several paces, enough to alarm the soldiers.

  


"You...Kryptonite...," Kara said, her voice straining.

"You're Kryptonian," the woman growled. "Your kind is not welcomed here! FIRE!"

  


The moment she heard that order, Kara quickly spun around and jetted up into the air, flying as far and as fast as she could.

  


"Ma'am! We have a rogue Kryptonian in the skies. Alone, in some sort of battle armor," the officer radioed in.

_"Keep alert," Lucy said on the other side. "We'll monitor her from here."_

  


  


* * *

  


  


Kara landed on a rooftop on the other side of the city. Eyeing her surroundings, she immediately knew that this was National City, but not _her_ National City.

  


"Really?" she said with exasperation as she took her helmet off. "This needs to stop happening. Brightest minds of the galaxy, yet they can't ever seem to drop me off on the right Earth!"

  


Kara pouted then tried to reach for her communication device. She tried activating it, but remembered that her suit had suffered damage in her last mission. Shaking her head once more, she peered over the edge. Buildings were damaged in some sections of the town, and in the distance, she noticed where downtown used to lay with its huge skyscrapers and brilliantly lit facade. Now, there was nothing but an empty space, littered with rubble. The city was quieter too, with barely anyone roaming the streets. Military personnel and vehicles were all she noticed.

Wondering what her next move was, she recalled the disdain in the woman's voice from earlier, calling her out for being Kryptonian. Kara wasn't sure what was going on, but it seemed like there was some conflict involving her kind. Sighing, she opened up a secret compartment in her suit, revealing a bluish liquid, housed in a syringe. She took a breath before grabbing it and injecting it directly into her neck. She knew, that without any companions, any knowledge of this world, and any form of communication, that she needed to tread lightly without attracting any more attention to her than necessary. She needed to get back home. She needed to find this Earth's Lena, or Alex, or J'onn, or anyone that she could possibly get help from.

She emptied the chemical into her bloodstream, immediately feeling its effects. She felt weaker. Her knees buckled from exhaustion, her head started to spin, and her teeth chattered as her body temperature fell. It'd take her a while to get a grasp on the adjustments, so she lowered herself on the concrete rooftop. Down on all fours, she took deep breaths. Eventually, she got the strength to roll over and sit down, as she rubbed at her arms rapidly to warm up. She sat there, waiting for her body to get accustomed to the changes.

  


  


* * *

  


"Um...we've lost her," Winn said hesitantly.

"Lost her? What the hell do you mean we lost her?!" Lucy demanded.

"The uh...the heat signature I was following...it just...disappeared."

"Agent Schott, what the hell does that mean? That can't happen. We can't just 'lose' the signature." Lucy's face fell into a scowl, disbelieving his words.

"I...I um...I don't know. It's gone."

"Goddammit," she groaned. "Of all the things I needed, it's not having a damn Kryptonian on the loose, with the ability to hide themselves from the only way we have of monitoring their activity. Vasquez!" she shouted. "Take a team out there and check it out. We need eyes."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Schott, get me the Director."

"You're not gonna tell her about this...are you?" he questioned timidly.

"No, you idiot. The last thing we need, is to worry Alex about something other than saving Mrs. Luthor. I just want to check-in. Get her on the comms." Lucy's face was stern, with her voice ever so demanding.

"Right, right. Sorry. Getting her now."

  


  


* * *

  


  


"We're coming up on the location, Director," the driver called out.

"Good." She then radioed in to her teams. "Everyone get ready. You know what we're in for. Keep your guns focused, and your minds clear. First and foremost, this is a rescue mission. Secondary objectives are to rid these Kryptonian scum from our planet. Understood?"

  


A resounding answer of "Yes ma'am!" was heard, before the comms went silent once more. Alex sat focused, monitoring her body's reaction. She felt fine. Her heart didn't feel any different from before, and her strength hadn't tapered. She squeezed her fists open and shut a few times, then tapped her foot on the ground. Everything was responding fine. Her breaths were ragged, but it was more out of nervousness than anything. Her body felt normal, and she was thankful. She hoped it stayed that way, and that the side effects that Lena was so worried about, wouldn't come to pass.

  


_"Danvers. Status,"_ Alex heard over her earpiece. 

"Danvers here. We're coming up on the location. Teams are ready. How are things there?"

_"Nothing to worry about. Everything's under control. Just get back in one piece, okay?"_

  


Alex chuckled, knowing that her best friend was quietly freaking out at having Alex in the field. She always did.

  


"Can't make any promises Lane," she responded with a smirk.

_"Don't make me kick your ass..."_

"In your dreams."

  


The playful banter was suddenly interrupted by a loud explosion. One of their vehicles had overturned from the blast, hurling through the air before crashing in their direction. They barely avoided the collision. The jarring motion put everyone on alert.

  


"Fuck. I gotta go, Luce."

_"Show'em who's boss, Alex."_

  


Alex nodded silently as their vehicle halted. The teams exited and immediately took defensive positioning. Shortly thereafter, shots were fired towards the enemies who hovered in the skies.

  


"Cobra red, formation. Take'em down!"

  


Immediately, a group of soldiers fired a small spread of missiles, targetted to the Kryptonian's heat signal. The aliens used their heat vision to destroy the projectiles. However, after each one was blasted, fragments separated, opening up the weapon to let loose thousands of nanobots, armed with Kryptonite. They darted quickly and attached to their hosts bodies, weakening them in mid-air. As their strength faltered, they torpedoed into the ground where the troops were waiting for them. Agents surrounded each fallen alien, their guns pointing at them, waiting for any inch of movement that would give them just cause to fire. Instead, each body lay limp, dead, not only from the impact of the fall, but also from the secondary function of the nanobots; injecting a lethal poison into the Kryptonian blood stream.

When all the attackers had been neutralized, Alex called out once more.

  


"Arriz, Marks, Harris, collect the bots and prepare them for another round if needed. Warren, status."

Her lieutenant's voice echoed over the comm. "We lost three. Some wounded, but alright. We still have enough soldiers to complete the mission, ma'am."

  


Alex nodded slowly, hating how often these days she's lost people. Though, every incident never failed to rile up two distinct emotions: grief and anger. She knew that she'd fight these aliens with all she had. They'll be sorry to mess with Earth, and with her.

  


"Secure the area. Handle our wounded. Quickly. Then we move on."

"Yes, ma'am."

  


There was a count of five Kryptonians who had fallen that afternoon, but it was far from over. The agents who were still capable, moved back into the vehicles and resumed their journey.

  



	3. Chapter 3

Kara climbed down the echoing stairwell, panting as she worked her way down to a familiar floor. She walked down the dimly lit hallway; it's walls no longer pristine. Cracks varying in depths were seen running along its surface. Chunks of plaster were laying on the ground. Some came from the ceiling and some from its adjoining walls. When she reached the door at the end of the corridor, she used her x-ray vision to scout inside. She squinted harder than normal, weaker from the serum. Her vision kept flickering back and forth from x-ray to normal, normal to x-ray and back again, which generated a slight nauseating feeling. Ultimately, she gave up and decided to take her chances. Lifting some rubble off the ground, she peeled back the welcome rug and picked up the key. Cautiously, she turned the lock and opened the door.

The inside faired much better than the hallway. There were still cracks along the ceiling and shattered glass from the windows. Some items had fallen off of shelves and furniture slightly shifted from their normal placements, but all in all, everything was still intact. Taking a breath and recognizing the familiar feel of the place, she was happy to know that this Kara's condo still felt like a little bit like home.

The first thing she did was scour the kitchen for food. After all the fighting from the previous mission, plus with her now weakened body, she ached for nourishment. Luckily, she found some. Despite the damage to the building, she was surprised to find that power was still functional. The fridge and freezer were still stocked with food, though, some of the more perishable items had seen better days. Grabbing what she could, she tossed some frozen appetizers onto a small sheet pan and into the toaster oven. Not knowing if the building had a gas leak, she opted to not use the oven. While her food cooked, she took a quick shower, tossed on some regular clothes, and put on her glasses to complete her "human disguise".

When the timer rang, she swiftly ran towards it, pulled out the tray, but let go immediately as the heat burned her fingers. She sighed, forgetting the effects of the serum she had taken earlier. After running her fingers through a stream of cold water, she grabbed some hot pads and slowly pulled out her meal. She sat in the living room and turned on the tv to watch the news.

As she snacked on her smorgasbord of pizza rolls, chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks and other unhealthy food choices, she watched the chaos on the screen. Every channel seemed to cover the same story. After a while, she got enough of a jist of what exactly was going on. Her aunt and uncle were bringing terror upon the planet; Kryptonians were fighting for control. Where their efforts had been thwarted on her Earth, here, it seemed it continued. 

She took a large gulp of seltzer, but choked from the sudden loud thumping at her door. She tried to utilize her x-ray vision, but her power was longer available; not even a flicker. Feeling some trepidation as she reached for the doorknob, she took a deep breath. Steeling herself, she opened it, revealing several agents all clad in black; the same ones that had chased her earlier that day.

  


"DEO ma'am. We have reason to believe that a Kryptonian is taking refuge in your building. We need to survey the area if you don't mind."

  


Kara recognized the agent immediately. Agent Vasquez.

  


"Um...sure. I don't know what you're referring to," she lied, "but, please, feel free," she continued, shifting to the side.

  


A few agents made their way past her, while Vasquez stared her down. She raised a device in front of Kara, scanning her body. A scowl upon Kara's face formed as she waited patiently, unsure of what it was she was being checked for. As she stood there though, a familiar, but dull pain started to settle back into her body. Her breath became shaky, as her chest constricted, and her hands became jittery. Prickling sensations tingled from her every limb. The agents were armed with Kryptonite.

  


"All clear lieutenant!"

  


Vasquez nodded at Kara and called her people back out.

  


"Thank you for your cooperation. Apologies for the disruption. Please remain indoors and dial the emergency line if anything seems suspicious."

  


Kara nodded silently and restrained the need to twitch or cringe with the ache in her body. She watched as the agents made their exit. When they were finally out of view, she shut the door and leaned back onto it, letting out a heavy sigh of relief. She never knew of a time when having an anti-powering serum would come in handy, but she was glad Lena developed it for her. And, although she no longer radiated the heat, nor had any powers of a Kryptonian, her weakness from that glowing green compound was still present. She needed to get home, and fast, before it killed her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Warning: Descriptive Violence**   
> 

In the desert, Alex and her team finally made it to a cave, not too far from where they were attacked. Falling into formation, the agents started their descent, wary of the dangers that laid within. The darkness made it difficult for them to get their bearing. Streams of light that emitted from their headlamps, only gave sight to a portion of their surroundings at any given time, leaving pockets of darkness in the distance, but yet, they kept on.

They crept deeper, as quietly as they could, into the hollow earth. Their minds brimming with anticipation, knowing they were closing in on their enemy. They were nervous, and rightly so. The unfamiliar terrain and surrounding shadows where possible unseen dangers lurked, were reason enough. Alex led her team forward though, only stopping momentarily out of a hunch; a gut feeling. Her eyes darted around, her head tilted with every movement, causing her her narrow headlamp to focus on various corners of the rocky walls. And then, out of nowhere, she saw a glimpse of something. She squinted, eyes widening when she finally realized what she saw; glowing yellow eyes in the distance. 

  


"Hostiles! Two o'clock! Positions!"

  


Not a moment later, the ambush began. Bluish-white rays of light burned through the shadows. Screams were heard as agents fell victim. Gunshots were fired. Chaos ensued. The agents frantically tried to get a handle of their opponents, but they were too fast. And in the blackness that surrounded them, they barely had a chance.

  


Thinking of a way to get control of the situation, Alex suddenly shouted to her agents, "Flares!"

  


Immediately, a few of the agents tugged the cylindrical sticks from their vests and ignited them. The glowing red sparks opened up the darkness to reveal more of the terrain than before. Taking advantage of the newly found visibility, they used the enclosed space to their benefit. The agents aimed their weapons, firing towards their hovering nemeses until the aliens were forced into a corner, where Alex and her team lay waiting. At the ready, they took out their sheathed, Kryptonite laced blades. When their opponents were close enough, they charged.

Alex faced one man in particular, a leader of sorts, one who brandished an intriguing set of armor, unlike his counterparts. The attacks on both their parts were ruthless. Red beams focused on the Director, as she jumped and dodged his attacks. When she was close enough, she swung her blade at him, causing a high pitched shriek on impact, but it barely nicked the armor. As he laughed, she willingly pulled out her gun, clasping it in her other hand to wield both weapons with grace. However, as hard as she fought, she couldn't penetrate his armor. She landed multiple hits on the Kryptonian, on multiple angles, hoping to find a weak spot, but failed miserably. 

At some point, the alien aimed his attack on a surrounding rock structure, causing a cascade of rubble to come down upon her. Alex dodged it, though only barely. A piece of the falling debris had sliced at her left shoulder. In a split second, while Alex grit her teeth and winced from the sharp pain, the Kryptonian aimed his heat vision at Alex's blade, heating it to such an extreme temperature that a good portion of it had melted. She immediately dropped the weapon, flinching at the feel of it nearly burning her hand. Alex senselessly fired her gun at him, as he closed in on her step by step. He dodged every attack with ease; his slow approach mocked her efforts to keep him at bay. Eventually, he grabbed hold of Alex by the neck and lifted her off the ground, smirking under his helmet as he did so. With boundless strength he squeezed easily, causing Alex to drop her weapon and grab at his hand, hopelessly trying to punch at his arm. She let out choking breaths, as oxygen failed to reach her lungs. She felt his crushing digits tighten against her windpipe until she could barely get any air. Her eyes bulged, her face reddened, her chest tightened. Her movements became weaker and weaker.

  


"Director!"

  


At the cusp of losing consciousness, Alex barely heard the faint shout. Out of nowhere, a blue flash came across her face. The agent had fired his weapon at the opposing Kryptonian's head, causing him to drop her. The closeness of the shot cracked the exterior of the man's helmet, and forced him to remove it. He tossed it away as he grumbled angrily; his focus set at his attacker.

  


"You will pay for your insolence!"

  


Alex laid gasping on the ground, weakened by the attack. She tried, nonetheless to help her colleague. Stretching her arm across the dampened ground, her fingertips brushed along its surface until she eventually found her gun. With as much strength as she could muster, Alex raised the weapon and fired aimlessly in his direction. Luckily, one of her shots grazed the back of his unprotected head, once more gaining his attention. In that moment of distraction, the agent fell back into the darkness, waiting to make his next move.

The Kryptonian flew steadfast into Alex's direction, and kicked the weapon out of her hand. He stomped on her back, his heavy boot forcing a strained cry from her lips as she felt a sharp pain in her spine, sending a tingling sensation through her arms. He grabbed the back of her collar, lifted her up, then tossed her against a rock wall. Alex grunted in agony as the jagged edges of rock jabbed into her body from the impact. She laid on the ground, struggling to move.

The Kryptonian stood over her, watching her feeble body attempt to shift in any sort of meaningful direction. He knelt down beside her, glaring at her form. He grabbed her hair and yanked her upwards, forcing Alex to yelp, as her back arched upwards to face him. It didn't take long before the man's face started to scrunch up. His brows furrowed heavily. His expression firmed as if he was fighting something he couldn't understand; something that was causing him extreme discomfort. As the man growled in anger, Alex dropped her good arm and reached for the dagger she kept on her belt. She held onto its handle, gripping with as much strength as she could, waiting to pounce. When the man's eyes darted away for a second, Alex swiftly took action. She put all her strength into her core, anchoring herself to her opponent. She jerked herself up while pulling the man downward, who was unsuspecting of the attack. As he lost balance, Alex swung her blade, slamming it through the back of his head. She felt the blow crack through his vulnerable skull, giving way until no resistance was felt; its edges digging into the softer tissue below. Her dagger, laced with Kryptonite, thrust with such force, killed the man instantly. She faltered to the ground shortly thereafter; his blood pooling by her hand.

She took deep breaths as the adrenaline shot through her system, the pain lessened by it. In her success with taking down her enemy, the corner of her mouth curled upward. Lena's serum did work after all. Having Kryptonite coursing through human blood was a powerful weapon, in both a passive and aggressive manner.

  



	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks all for your patience! Sorry for the delayed update.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
>   
> 

Knowing that she didn't have much time before things got worse, Kara scoured the apartment to find anything of value. The first thing she was hoping to find, was the portable interdimensional extrapolator that Cisco had given her; she hoped that he had given it to this Kara as well. That would've been the easiest way home. Unfortunately, there was no sign of it. However, in the midst of her search, she did find her wallet and her Catco badge.

"At least I still worked there," she chuckled, realizing that she had yet to be on an Earth where she and Cat Grant had not teamed together.

She eventually found the laptop she was looking for, and started digging through, gathering information about what could've happened to the two good Kryptonians of the world. With one hop on the internet search engine, and a few keystrokes, a slew of articles came up in the results. They all had similar headlines. Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened at the common thread.

Supergirl was dead.

  


  


* * *

  


  


"Director!" the agent called out again, running from behind his hiding spot. "Are you alright?"

  


The man knelt down before his superior, concern in his eyes.

  


"I'm fine, Henry," she half chuckled, as she knelt crouched on the ground, still gathering her strength. "Thanks for the backup."

"Of course, ma'am."

"How's everyone else?"

"There's a bunch of us gathered in the back. The attackers had been neutralized a while ago. It was just this one that was left standing," he said, staring down the fallen alien that now lay at his feet. "I don't know how you were able to take him down, but damn...it's a reminder why I'm happy to serve by your side any day, Director."

  


The man helped Alex to stand, while she silently took pride at his comment. She stood firm; the adrenaline rush was still strong enough to carry her body past the pain of the attack, but the soreness in her limbs was still a subtle reminder of her injuries.

  


"We've still got a ways to go. Any word on where Lena is?"

"We have her signal. It's still strong. The good news is that there's only one Kryptonian signature left unaccounted for. We may have the upper hand."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. If they're armed anywhere as tough as this guy was, it could be a hell of a fight."

  


The agent nodded with worry, but Alex just nudged at him.

  


"Don't worry about it. I've your back, Henry," she smirked with confidence. "C'mon, let's finish is damn mission and go home."

  


  


* * *

  


  


After about an hour, Kara finally got a better grasp on this world. Supergirl died. No details were explained, only that the DEO was in charge of the autopsy and confirmed it. Superman however, was still alive, though battled the same war over in Metropolis. The opposing Kryptonians were led by her aunt, and had started a fight among the Earthlings for over several months now. Many cities were left in shambles, but humanity was still holding strong. The DEO was in the forefront of it all. Their success had been attributed to the joined efforts between the government agency and civilians with brilliant minds and resources, who stepped up to fight. One prime example was Lena Luthor.

In the midst of her research, she also found bits of the other Kara's past; the Kara who was now dead to this world. She found that the woman had lived in Metropolis all her life until recently. Her successful reporting career at the Daily Planet landed her a job in Catco Media. Though, the most interesting detail she found, was that her name wasn't Kara Danvers. It was Kara Kent.

She deduced that perhaps she and Kal-El must've grown up together, and that she was able to watch over him as her parents had intended from the start. Her pod must have landed on Earth when it was supposed to, and didn't get caught in the Phantom Zone like she had. Kara didn't have access to any of those details, but based on what she found on that computer, the theory seemed to fit. As she continued searching, for some reason, she couldn't find any way to contact her cousin, which was weird to her, considering she always had his info handy back home. She sighed, realizing she had no other option than to try to send him an email to his work account. Lame, but it was a shot. Maybe...maybe she'd be able to convince him to come out and meet her.

  


"Hm...now that that's done, I need to find out if I can get a hold of Lena, or Alex, or anyone that may have known Kara Kent..." She scrunched her face up, disliking the ring of that name. She definitely preferred Danvers.

  


She toyed with a few options, finally making her decision. She grabbed her key and made her way out the door, locking it and placing it back in its spot before heading outside. However, as soon as she stepped out of the building, she was confronted with the same agents from earlier.

  


"You can't be outside," Vasquez greeted her with a questioning look. "Code 441 has been invoked. All citizens need to remain indoors until it's been cleared."

"Agent Vasquez, I need to get to DEO headquarters. I need to see Director Danvers."

"How did you know— What business do you have with the Director?" she asked sternly. The use of her name and of her superior's caused her focus to now be heavily set on the blonde. "What's your name, anyhow?"

"Kara. Kara Kent. I...I have to ask her about Superman and Supergirl."

  


The woman's face frowned slightly.

  


"Supergirl is dead, Ms. Kent. I'm sure you know that."

"I do. But I know that Superman is still alive and I need to be able to speak with both he and the Director."

Vasquez laughed. "I have no idea what right you think you have, but none of that is going to happen," she said dismissively.

"Look, I'm going to get to Director Danvers whether or not you help me."

  


The agent's demeanor turned serious. She stepped up to Kara, rifle her hands; her swagger was meant to intimidate.

  


"Are you threatening her in some way, Ms. Kent?" she said with some aggression, suddenly feeling the need to protect her superior.

"No. I'm not," Kara said, stepping back slightly. "It's just...it's imperative that I see her."

"Not. Gonna. Happen." she said emphatically. "You come one hair close to DEO property, and we'll have you caged up. You understand?"

  


Without her powers, she knew she didn't stand a chance against the troop of DEO soldiers that now surrounded her. She wanted to get to Alex, but she'd have to come up with another way.

  


"Fine. I won't then," Kara pouted slightly, before attempting to walk past the agent.

"Oh no you don't," she said, grabbing Kara's arm. "Didn't you hear anything I said?"

"I'm not going to the DEO, or to the Director!"

"It's still a code 441. You are confined to your home, Ms. Kent."

"I need to see Lena Luthor. Perhaps she—"

"What business do you have with her?" Vasquez now questioned intently. Her suspicions of Kara started to grow.

"That is none of your business, agent."

"You damn right it is. If I'm not letting you get to the Director, there's no way in hell I'm letting you go anywhere near her wife."

"Her wife?!!" Kara exclaimed in shock.

  


The agent looked over at Kara in surprise. These days, it was pretty common knowledge to be aware of the marriage between the government's top security force's leader and the head of the Luthor corporation.

  


"I'm giving you one last chance, blondie. Inside or I'm taking you under arrest."

  


Defiant as ever and determined to see someone in the DEO, she just crossed her arms and shook her head. Vasquez, having grown tired of her meddling, was overly concerned at the woman's persistence in seeing key people associated to her organization. She ordered her agents to take the woman in. As Kara was led off in cuffs and ushered into the back of a militarized vehicle, she mumbled quietly.

  


"At least they're taking me to them...," she smiled.

  



	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  **Warning: More gore and violence**
> 
> Sorry for the late delay! 
> 
> Enjoy and please let me know what you think! 😁
> 
>   
> 

Alex and her troops moved steadfast and approached an open area within the cave. Upon arriving, they were met by a female Kryptonian, who hovered over Lena. The CEO was bound and gagged, and knelt helplessly on the ground.

  


"Lena!" Alex shouted.

  


She attempted to run forth, but a ray of light blasted the ground in front of her; a warning from the captor.

  


"You humans think you have the upper hand," she chuckled. "You want this one, you'll have to deal with me first."

  


With a silent look from the Director, her agents quickly moved. They split up, trying to surround the Kryptonian. However, their attempts were suddenly thwarted when the woman blew a strong gust of frost-biting air towards them. In a split second, all of Alex's people were frozen in ice. Alex was left laying on the ground, who instinctively dodged the attack.

  


"Feisty one," the woman chuckled. "You may have escaped my attack, but you won't be so lucky the next time."

  


The woman lowered herself to the ground, eyes focused on Alex as she picked herself up. Before the woman came any closer, Alex called out to her.

  


"Hold on," she ordered, as if she had any authority.

  


The woman stood and glared questioningly at Alex, peeved that a human would have any right to speak to her with such a tone.

  


"You think you're far superior to us, don't you?"

  


The woman laughed.

  


"Of course we are."

"Then why haven't you conquered our world yet? Hm?" Alex hummed mockingly.

"Because you are pesky roaches. More than us in numbers, but we will squash every. Single. One."

"Roaches, huh? Funny. I'm not a fan of that term. Though, on our planet, that's what others call your kind."

  


Angered by the flipped usage of the term against her, her eyes fired a beam at Alex's feet. Surprisingly, Alex didn't budge.

  


"You have guts."

"I've got more than that," she boasted.

"So proud. You really think you'd have a chance of defeating me?"

"Very much so."

  


The Kryptonian scoffed.

  


"If you don't believe me, then let me prove it to you. Hand-to-hand combat. You and me."

  


She laughed once more.

  


"Your sun gives me the strength of hundreds of your kind. And you, lonely soldier, think you're powerful enough?" she mocked.

"You keep talking, but you're wasting your breath. Come on then. No powers, fists only," Alex said. She took off her utility belt and tossed it to the side along with the firearm she was holding.

  


From afar, muffled shouts were heard. Alex looked over to find the panicked look on Lena's face. The Director only smiled in her direction and nodded, letting her know it'd be alright. She then focused her sights back on her opponent.

Seeing the exchange, and quite intrigued, she nodded her head in acceptance of the challenge. She smiled, thinking how fun it would be to toy with her before killing her. She had been quite bored from playing guard for the helplessly tied woman they had captured.

Alex on the other hand, was bouncing with anticipation and nervousness. She always got antsy before a fight. Knowing that she only had her fists, and the Kryptonite flowing in her blood, she hoped that she'd have some small advantage. She knew the Kryptonian couldn't be trusted to not to use her powers, but this was as close as she could get to a plan on defeating her. Everything else, she'd figure out along the way.

  


"Let's dance, Kryptonian," Alex smirked.

  


In a split second, both rushed towards each other. Although Alex's injured shoulder prevented her from moving it without pain, she had enough control over it to use it as best as she could. Adrenaline pumped through her body, nullifying the pain. She used her reflexes to dodge her opponent's attacks, punching and kicking back when she could, but her efforts were useless. The woman barely felt a thing. However, in the corner of her eye, Alex was able to steal a glimpse of the woman's face. She winced from time to time. The Kryptonite was working its magic. At some point during their fight, Alex bent down to avoid a roundhouse kick to the torso, and grabbed at her injured shoulder, covering it with her blood. In one swift movement, she jumped up behind the woman and smeared the blood on her face. The Kryptonian's eyes stung, not just from the iron rich fluid, but from the Kryptonite. Unaware of why it pained her, the woman grew furious.

She wiped her eyes harshly across her arm, and had somehow gotten hold of Alex's collar, while the Director attempted to attack. She threw a punch at the Alex's face. Alex saw it coming and was able to raise her arms up to defend herself, but the blow was too strong. A sharp sensation and a loud snap was heard. She grunted in pain. She was pretty sure the woman had broken one of her forearms, if not both. Though the impact to her face was lessened, it still caught her in the jaw. The combination of injuries was enough to stun her movements.

Without her realizing it, the Kryptonian continued to weaken. Her arm shook at the weight of lifting the agent's body as she held her up in the air. She glared at the human, and stopped her movements. She realized something was up. With her guard down, Alex took the opportunity to spit blood onto the woman's face, once more impairing her vision. This time, the stinging sensation was even more painful than the last. She dropped Alex to the ground, while the woman wiped her eyes frantically, spreading Alex's blood along her arms. Alex struggled to get up, her body weakened from the accumulated injuries and excessive use of energy. Her heart beat faster, thumping loudly in her chest as her mind became more determined than ever. This was her chance to take the alien down. 

As best she could, she managed to rush towards the alien and jump up onto her back. She wrapped her legs around the woman's torso, and her arms curled the woman's neck. Alex kept her face close to the woman's head; the Kryptonite in her blood inflicting more pain on her opponent as it trickled from her face and made contact with the alien's skin. The woman flew up towards the air in frustration, but Alex held on tight. Piggybacked on her opponent, she quickly made a decision. With as much force as she could, she jerked her arms in opposing directions. Bones cracked under her arms, snapping the woman's neck. With the life force extinguished from the Kryptonian, they hurdled straight the ground. Alex swiftly hopped off right before the impact. She bent her knees to soften the fall, then tumbled across the dirt floor. When she finally landed, she looked up past the cloud of dust and found her opponent laying still. She took a deep breath and dropped her head to the ground. It was finally over.

After taking a minute to gather herself, Alex slowly pushed herself up. Her body ached a thousand times over, but reached for her comm.

  


"Lane," she called out, her voice harsh, strained and breathless.

"Lane here. Alex, where are you? What happened? Is everything okay?"

"If okay...," she started, her breath still ragged. "you mean we found Lena and defeated the Kryptonians," she puffed once more, "then yes...we're okay."

"You sound like shit, Danvers. Truth this time."

  


Alex chuckled, but the jerky movement aggravated her injuries and caused her to wince, stilling her before she could continue.

  


"My team's down. Everyone's down. Half are frozen in ice. I need a pick-up."

"Help's already on the way. And you? What's your status?"

"I'm gonna need some R&R after this one," Alex joked.

  


Lucy laughed, relieved at hearing her friend's humor intact.

At the end of the call, Alex took her time and stood. She hobbled over to grab her utility belt and weapon, then slowly made over it to where Lena was. The woman had tears in her eyes and looked paler than normal. Alex grabbed her knife and cut Lena free. The moment her wife's limbs were able to move, they were thrown around Alex, but Lena retracted just as quickly when the redhead held back a grunt.

  


"You okay?"

"Am I okay?" Lena questioned, wiping her eyes. "You, Director Danvers, do not have the right to ask that. That's my line."

  


Alex smiled.

  


"I'll be fine, Lee. Nothing a patch job at the DEO won't fix," she said courageously. She shrugged out of habit, but the gesture only caused herself more pain in doing so.

  


Lena frowned. She looked at Alex's bloodied form. Despite the humor, Lena knew better. She knew how much Alex was physically hurting; the Director always hid it. And, as much as Lena hated having Alex in the field, she was grateful that she'd come to her rescue. If there was anyone who could have ever saved her from anything, it'd be Alex.

  


"Thank you," came a meek voice.

"You know I'd always come for you, Lee. Always."

  


Lena looked into her wife's eyes lovingly, but her smile faded as she saw those normal brown orbs now tinted slightly with a bright shade of greenish highlights. She knew what Alex had done, and immediately, her face had angered.

  


"I saw that fight," she said with a bite in her tone. "I wondered if you had hidden Kryptonite on yourself in order to be able to defeat someone like _her_." She shook her head with annoyance. "You took the serum, didn't you?"

"I had to. I—"

"Alex! We hadn't tested it yet! We still don't know what it could do to you!"

Alex took whatever strength she had and dragged her arm, reaching for Lena's hand. She grit her teeth hard to bare the pain.

"Baby, it's temporary. You said so. When we get back, you can run all the tests you want, to see how far along it is from leaving my system. Other than these damn injuries, I feel fine. Really. Your serum worked, babe. It worked."

  


The smile on Alex's face allowed Lena to breathe, but only slightly. Multiple thoughts went racing through her mind; all were worse case scenarios. She was now anxious to get Alex back to the DEO, not just to tend to her injuries, but to run extensive tests and monitor her wife's biological state, hoping that nothing was altered or damaged.

With a soft brush of Alex's thumb on the back of her hand, Lena looked up, gazing at unfamiliar colored eyes.

  


"It'll be fine, baby. I know it will."

  


Lena's lips curled into a smile. It never reached her eyes. She closed her hand around Alex's and gripped it tight. She hoped it'd be alright. If not, she was damn sure she'd be able work out a way to make it so.

  



	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay you guys.
> 
> Here's the next chapter. Thanks for your patience.
> 
> Enjoy and lemme know what you think :)
> 
>   
>   
> 

Kara sat in her cell. The brightly lit room surrounded by impenetrable glass was all so familiar to her. However, she never thought she'd see the day when she was on the wrong side of that glass. It'd been hours since she was put there, and her stomach was grumbling. If it weren't for that, she'd happily have fallen asleep. Her body was still trying to catch up to everything she'd put herself through.

  


"Heyyyyyy," she called out, as she waved at the cameras. "Can I get some food? Pleease? I'm not a hostile, I should at least be given some basic courtesy here."

  


Lucy and Vasquez watched the blonde from the other end of the screen. The former rolled her eyes.

  


"Tell me again why you brought her in?"

"She kept insisting to see Superman and Director Danvers. Then after that, she claimed she was going to see Mrs. Luthor."

  


Lucy shook her head, annoyed at having to deal with an unruly civilian of all things.

  


"Agent Vasquez," she huffed. "According to this woman's credentials, she's Kara Kent of Catco Media, formally the one of the up and coming reporters from the Daily Planet. She's a damn reporter. Of course she gonna stick her nose where it doesn't belong."

"Ma'am, with all due respect, I feel like there's something else here. I...I don't know what it is, but I feel like she could be a threat."

"You're lucky I trust you," Lucy said, shaking her head. "I'll let the Director figure out what to do with her. In the meantime, get her some damn food. I don't want to hear her complaining or bad-mouthing our agency for starving our 'guests'."

Annoyed at having to tend to the blonde, she responded in a weak tone, "Right away."

  


  


* * *

  


  


An hour later or so later, Alex was hauled into the med bay and tended to, while the other agents were rushed in with the wounded and their recently thawed colleagues. Other than suffering from mild hypothermia, they seemed to be fine. They were tended to, and monitored.

  


"Mrs. Luthor," one of the agents said, rushing towards her. "We should check you for any injuries as well. It's protocol that we—"

"I'm fine, agent. I need to see Alex," she said dismissively, continuing forth with her eyes focused ahead of her and not at the woman who stood in her way.

  


Lena carried herself well at the DEO, as much as she did at L-Corp. She threw her weight around, and everyone respected it. Not only because of her status as Lena Luthor, but of her title of being the Director's wife. Unless she broke protocol, or was called out by a superior officer — which rarely ever happened — everyone let her be.

She hastily brushed passed the agent and headed towards the medical bay. There, the doctors and nurses were already hovering around the Director, tending to her injuries. A nurse stopped Lena by the doorway.

  


"I'm sorry, Mrs. Luthor, but we can't have you in here right now. There's too much shuffling around and we don't want you to—"

"Ms. Harper," she said sternly. "I _need_ to see Alex."

"Ma'am," the woman said with a shaky voice. "The Director...she's stable, she'll be fine. I promise. We just need some time to—"

"Ms. Harper," she reiterated, this time her tone was more demanding. "I will not ask again."

  


Sighing the woman stepped aside, allowing her to enter.

  


"Dr. Manser," Lena called out.

  


The man turned and faced the direction of his name being called out; his eyes falling on the familiar figurehead.

  


"I'm sorry, Mrs. Luthor, but I'm a bit preoccupied at the moment. Please wait outside."

"I'll leave once I have a sample of Alex's blood."

  


Intrigued, the doctor stopped half-way in his step to turn towards the Luthor.

  


"I'm sorry?"

"You heard me. I won't ask again."

  


And even then, the doctor wasn't willing to fight her. What he really needed was her out of there. He motioned to one of the male nurses to do as she required. Without hesitation, he moved around to grab the necessary instruments. A moment later, he handed Lena a full test tube of Alex's blood. Thanking him, she walked away, heels clicking towards the lab.

  


  


* * *

  


  


Hours later, Alex woke groggy from her sedated state. Lucy sat by her side.

  


"Mornin' sunshine," she teased.

"Hey...," she said with a raspy voice. "Where's Lena?"

"In the lab, doing something with your blood. She argued her way through everyone to get it. While. You. Were. Being. Patched. Up."

  


Alex chuckled softly, knowing how Lucy was always annoyed that Lena had her way around the DEO with as much, if not more, authority than she did.

  


"She's just concerned, Luce. I knew she'd be eager to run tests on me. I should've known she wouldn't have waited until I was outta here."

"What the hell for, anyway? Did something happen out there?"

"Confidentially speaking...," Alex started as she stared at her friend. "Actually, don't go all crazy when I tell you too. I um...in a last minute decision I kinda injected myself with Lena's serum."

"Kinda? The experimental serum?! The liquid Kryptonite?!" she gasped, eyes bulging out of her sockets.

  


Alex just nodded sheepishly.

  


"Fuck, Alex! That shit wasn't authorized for use by military personnel yet! It could've killed you!"

  


Alex shook her head.

  


"Lena modified it in her last round. It wasn't lethal any more. She was on her final stages of testing and—"

"It still wasn't tested fully, you idiot!" she said, smacking Alex's leg harshly.

"Ow! Shit, Luce. I'm still recovering, asshole."

  


After a moment, Lucy's tone softened slightly, now full of concern.

  


"You deserved that. You know it. How are you feeling? Outside of your injuries..."

"Fine? I guess? I'm doped up and I can barely feel my arms. I can't tell if that's the Kryptonite or just another day in the field," she said jokingly.

"You're on a lot of morphine," Lucy said, swatting at her leg softer this time. "I guess we'll see what your wifey finds out. You want me to get someone to call her in?"

"Yea, she'll probably want to see me. Probably yell at me if she's found something wrong too. Gimme like...a few minutes before you do so though. I gotta prepare for it."

  


Lucy laughed and nodded. Lena was a force to be reckoned with. She couldn't even imagine what Alex must endure at home.

  


"Oh, by the way. When you're ready, you have a visitor waiting for you in holding 1-F."

"A visitor?"

"Yea, reporter. Kara Kent."

"Of Catco Media?"

"Yep."

"Why— why is she in holding?"

"Vasquez deemed her dangerous."

"You shitting me? That blonde girl that covers anti-violence topics, is probably nothing but a big softie... Vasquez thinks she's a threat?" Alex incredulously asked again.

"Yea, you know...I got too much to handle already, I didn't have the time to question it much. I'd rather be safe than sorry."

"You know they've put her on the watch list right?"

"Which watch list?"

"The infamous Cat Grant pulled a number of strings, and forced us to keep an eye out for her. Seemed like she disappeared months ago without a trace."

"And now she pops up here, outta nowhere."

"How did you guys find her anyway?"

"Vasquez," Lucy sighed, remembering why the agent was sent out there to begin with. Lucy kept that part a secret though. She wasn't willing to overburden Alex all at once with everything. "She was doing rounds at a location for some rogue Kryptonians. They bumped into her there. Apparently blondie wasn't willing to cooperate, even with a code 441 in effect."

"Reporters don't seem to give a damn what code's in effect," Alex said with annoyance. "Alright, well, keep her...comfortable. I don't want any trouble with Ms. Grant, or anyone really."

"Don't stress Danvers. I've put Vasquez on babysitting duty to do just that," she winked happily.

"Oh I'm sure she's loving that."

"It's her own damn fault for bringing her in. It's only fair for her to be responsible."

"Good point."

"Alright, I'm going to send for your wife. Good luck."

"Hah, thanks."

  


  


* * *

  


  


It was actually an hour before Lena arrived at the med bay, and Alex was long asleep by then. Another hour passed before she woke up. Her heavily lidded eyes strained to check out her surroundings, then finally fixated upon Lena's figure beside her. Her wife was anxiously tapping at her tablet.

  


"Hey, babe..."

  


Lena looked up immediately and placed the device down on the bed.

  


"Alex...," she said, relieved. "How are you feeling?"

"Mmmm...tired? Sore as hell? Kinda hungry?"

  


Lena smiled adoringly at the playful response.

  


"Anything else?"

"I've missed you," she admitted, giving way to a weak smile.

  


Lena huffed with amusement before leaning over to kiss Alex softly.

  


"I missed you too."

  


They stayed silent for a moment, heads resting against each other as they took solace in the moment of peace they finally found themselves in. Eventually, Alex leaned back.

  


"How are you, babe?"

"Everything you just said," Lena teased.

"Are you injured?"

"No. Just sore muscles from being kidnapped and jostled around a bit. I'm fine though," Lena said with ease.

  


Alex's brows furrowed at the thought of their enemies treating Lena harshly. It angered her to know they'd gotten so close to her.

  


"Darling, it's fine." Lena noticed the silent, but deeply rooted frustration that was slowly building up in her wife. "Really. I'm tough too, remember?"

  


Knowing that was true, Alex cracked a smile. Lena was definitely one of the toughest, non-military trained people she's ever known. She'd survived so much, even before Alex had known her.

Lena grabbed at her tablet, and scrolled through some of the screens. Alex read some worry in her subtle movements.

  


"Babe, what's up?"

  


Finding the screen she needed, she angled the device towards Alex. The woman took some time to comprehend what it was she was presented with. There were a number of graphs showing EKG readings and a chart regarding blood work. It displayed white blood cell counts, red blood cell counts, mineral percentage ratios, protein levels, chemical make-up...

  


"Wait. It says here that the Kryptonite presence over time has actually increased since...over five hours?!" Alex's eyes widened. She turned to Lena for an explanation.

"I did multiple tests while you were asleep, love. The results are...astounding and...highly unexpected."

"You...you don't sound worried about this. That's...that's baffling to me. Why?"

"Well, for one, I'm thrilled it's not killing you. There's no sign that the Kryptonite is actually having any adverse affect on your system. In fact, the idea that your body has not only accepted the presence of this chemical, but has somehow 'decided' to integrate itself into your DNA...it's quite fascinating, really."

"Says the worried scientist who originally scolded me for taking said chemical," she deadpanned.

  


Lena just swatted her arm.

  


"I'm still upset that you were reckless with that choice, Alex," her voice unforgiving. "But I'm at least, much less concerned about your well-being."

"Yea, but...the fact that my body is now actively creating Kryptonite is...it's crazy. Isn't it?"

"It is, and I'll continue to monitor you for quite some time. I don't want to be surprised by any sudden changes to your system."

  


Alex stared at the screen once more. The results were from nearly two hours ago, and at the rate of progression she's read, she's quite concerned of how much Kryptonite will actually be in her body before its generation rate peaked.

  


"How much of this stuff is in me? You think it'll get anywhere to critical levels? I mean, a shit ton of foreign chemicals in the body can't be good."

"The rate has actually started to taper off when I last ran tests. It looks like it's already begun stabilizing. I'll run another set of tests before I leave here. If my assumption is right, your blood make-up will consist of approximately 20-25% Kryptonite."

"Shit, that's a lot. I mean...considering the normal ratio of components in the blood."

"Now who's worrying," Lena teased.

"Hey, I'm fine. It's just the scientist part of me that has me thinking. I mean...if this proves true, then we can definitely use this in our agents. It'd be a great defensive and offensive weapon. Hell, worked for me."

"One step at a time, darling," she said, before kissing the top of Alex's head. "I'll take another sample from you and run another round of tests. Rest. I mean it, Alex."

  


Alex responded with a defiant smile, causing Lena to roll her eyes. As stubborn as Lena was about things, Alex was as well. She silently acknowledged the fact that her wife had no intentions of sitting still.

  


"Just...don't leave the DEO unless you have my clearance, okay?"

  


Alex chuckled, seeing at how her Director title meant nothing to Lena. Not when it came to the two of them anyway.

  


"Yes, ma'am."

  



	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your patience!
> 
> Kara and Alex finally meet!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
>   
> 

It was early the next day when Alex finally convinced the doctors to let her up. One day of rest, confined in a bed, was all she could take. After pressuring — or rather excessively "convincing" — the resident doctor to allow her to have another dose of morphine to combat the pain, to allow her to move without much difficulty, she'd gotten dressed in loose DEO sweats; the easiest to put on after dealing with injuries. Her left arm carried the most damage. The bandages covered up the wound on her shoulder, and that same arm was in a cast, hung in a sling. Her other arm was wrapped snug in bandages, but held in a brace. Nothing broken there, luckily.

She walked over to Lucy's office and spoke with her briefly regarding any issues that she needed to be aware of. At the time, since Alex was recovering, and the threat — or lack thereof really — over the missing Kryptonian was inconsequential, Lucy didn't bother to mention the ordeal at all. Instead, she happily reported that there was nothing of importance for her to fret over. Alex nodded with relief. Having no major threats to deal with was a blessing, considering the most recent set of events. With the free time she had, she decided to finally pay a visit to their guest reporter.

Alex walked down to the cells, shaking her head. They hadn't moved the reporter from her holding location, and she was overly concerned with the possibility of a stuck up, nosey brat tattling on the way she'd been treated. If the woman was anything like her acclaimed mentor, Cat Grant, Alex couldn't even fathom what trouble awaited her. It all could end up in a mess that would put Alex in a great deal of heat from those way above her pay grade. However, when she'd finally reached 1-F, she found the woman sitting on a bench, swinging her legs back and forth, seemingly content with eating a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Alex couldn't help but crack a smile. The brat she worried about seemed very much unthreatening, and more like an innocent kid.

  


"Oh my god, Alex!" Kara paid attention not make mention of Rao, which would get her into a fair share of trouble. She dropped the pint onto the bench and got up, racing towards glass confines of her cell.

The way the blonde had called out her name with such familiarity, shocked her for a moment, but she quickly shook it off.

"Guys, let her out, will ya?"

One of the agents did as ordered.

"You two are dismissed. She's a reporter, not an alien menace."

  


Kara bit back a smile. She found it ironic, considering she was an alien, and had been called a menace more than once in her lifetime. Moreover, her Alex had definitely called her an 'alien menace' a time or two growing up.

While Kara slowly stepped out of the cell, Alex watched the two agents leave, still amazed at the amount of security Lucy had agreed to put up for a guest, who wasn't even a prisoner. 

  


Turning her head back to the blonde, Alex started, "Hey, sorry about all that. I know th—"

  


Alex immediately was jostled by Kara, who had suddenly wrapped her arms around her and pulled her close. After such a long and troublesome mission — which, to her was still on-going— she longed to be with her sister again. The mere thought of this Alex not being her true sister, had been temporarily forgotten. 

  


"Alex..."

Eyes calmly shut, Kara sighed and breathed a sense of relief. The scent of this Alex was even the same; a hint of fragrance from her normal, warm self; that delicate blend of sweet shampoo and light perfume, mixed at times with grit and sweat, was something that Kara had grown to associate with comfort. However, that moment of bliss was kept brief when she quickly jumped back; a familiar pain suddenly started burning through her body.

  


Alex, on the other hand, was startled by the rapid embrace, promptly followed by the quick shunning of her body.

  


"Um...," she started slowly before snapping to and offering her right hand. "I'm Director Danvers. Alex. But...you already seem to know that."

"Right...," she answered casually, but Kara looked questioningly at her sister's doppelgänger, wondering what that sensation was and where it was coming from. She still had no powers, but the effects were clear. It felt like Kryptonite. "Kara Dan— Um...Kent," she continued, covering her near slip up.

  


Attempting to remain normal, she reached out to accept the handshake. However, the physical contact was shortened when she automatically pulled her hand back from the discomfort. The whole minute of interaction confused Alex greatly. She wondered about the reporter's jumpiness, and was concerned that it was due to her prolonged confinement.

  


"Kara...Kent?" she tried to reaffirm.

  


Kara just nodded in response.

  


"Okay. Look um...let's go somewhere a bit more comfortable to talk."

  


Alex led her through the corridors and back up to the main floor, where she guided her into a conference room. She made her way inside and stepped towards the corner of the room where they kept several bottles of water. She grabbed two and handed one to Kara. Alex then sat down while Kara waited, eventually selecting a seat that was the furthest she could be without raising any red flags. Once situated, Alex spoke first.

  


"Ms. Kent, I humbly apologize for the way my subordinates have treated you. By all accounts, you shouldn't have been kept waiting in a prison cell. As far as I'm concerned, you're no hostile."

"It's fine. Really. It wasn't a welcoming party at first but...it got better. Vasquez was even starting to be nice to me," she smiled brightly.

  


Alex chuckled, knowing that the agent had a thing for blondes and probably started easing up on her after a while.

  


"So...I hear that you've been causing my people some trouble," she said in a light tone, humbly smiling to be courteous.

"Not intended, I assure you." Kara twisted the cap off the bottle and took a sip. "I only wanted to have a chance to speak with you, or Superman, or Lena even."

"Ms. Kent," Alex said, her tone turning serious. "I know you're probably dying for some intel regarding the recent attacks to publish about, but I assure you, this is _not_ the time for it."

  


Kara's eyes drifted towards the sling, cast and bandages along Alex's arms. She also took note of the cuts and bruises on the woman's face. She hated seeing Alex in such rough shape. It definitely took some strength to hold back from wanting to coddle her.

  


"I um...I'm actually here doing some research. Research that may actually help us win this battle against the Kryptonians."

  


Kara had a lot of time to think this through. She figured she'd feign interest in otherworldly travel, gauging to see if there was any information that she could find about portals or the DEO's use of them.

Open to anything, even a rumor that sounded like it could give humanity a chance of ridding these pesky Kryptonians from their world, Alex always humored the topic.

  


Eager, she urged, arms crossed and body leaned back in her chair, "Pray tell, Ms. Kent."

"Have you ever heard of interdimensional travel?"

  


Alex's brows furrowed and her eyes narrowed slightly, as she tried to read the reporter's objective.

  


"Perhaps to some degree. We are an alien organization after all. We've come across multiple subjects that have little explanation surrounding them, and some that are merely theories. But, as you know, that information is classified. What's your interest in this?"

"I'm doing a piece," Kara covered. "Hypothesizing the idea of luring the Kryptonians into some gateway portal that could whisk them away. Far far away from our world."

  


Alex stifled a laugh. The idea sounded too far-fetched, and the thought of a mere reporter blurting out a suggestion such as this, seemed all too comical.

  


"Ms. Kent— "

"Kara, please."

"Okay, Kara. I think you've watched way too many sci-fi movies. That idea is absurd."

  


Alex stood, ready to end the conversation. Though, even as she was ready to easily dismiss Ms. Kent, no reporter— well, no one really— had ever asked or made mention of a theory like this, nor even suggested the possibility of such a thing, and Alex kept a mental note on it. Something in her gut told her that there was much more to this reporter than she was giving off, and that Vasquez was right to be concerned. 

  


"Wait, Alex!" Kara pleaded. The once more familiar calling of her name pouring from the reporter's mouth, stopped Alex in her tracks. "Just...humor me? Please? After all this trouble, the least you can do is tell me if this is possible, and how much you know."

  


An unexpected pout formed on the woman's face; an instinctive reaction Kara always had used when she begged her sister for something. She wasn't even aware she was doing it. Alex on the other hand, found herself suddenly weak to it.

  


"Off the record?" Alex offered, surprising even herself that she was willing to keep on with this discussion.

"Whatever will get you to tell me anything."

"If it's off the record, what good will it do you? What are you after...Kara?"

  


Hearing Alex address her casually, relaxed her. She felt that she could almost open up to this Alex, but still, for her sake and her safety, she kept her guard up.

  


"I want to help humanity. As a reporter, I want to give people information, hope, and ideas. It strengthens their resolve. If there's any chance that such technology exists, and we can figure out how to use it to our benefit, then why not throw out some helpless, 'What if?' story to our readers. It might harness some unsolicited feedback from them. Maybe scientists or aliens would crawl out of the woodwork to give their two cents about it, and could maybe lead to the feasibility of an attack worthy enough to end this ridiculous fight. It's worth a shot, right?"

  


Alex pondered the slew of words the blonde had thrown out, which sounded very much like a speech. She was awed by the woman's passion. She felt it in Kara's words and the way her body gestured with the same sort of devotion. It moved Alex enough to believe that it was a good idea.

  


"You're...quite convincing, you know that," she chuckled mildly, finding it suddenly easy to talk to the blonde.

"I've been told I inspire hope in people," she grinned, and they both laughed once more.

"Alright then. I'll tell you _some_ things, but you'll have to run whatever you decide to print, through me first. Also, if you really want to do this, you're gonna need to sign some forms. Standard procedure."

"You're the boss," she smiled happily.

  


The bright smile that carried on the reporter's face was infectious, causing Alex to grin just as much. She wasn't sure why, but she was growing fond of the woman rather quickly. She sat back down and tapped on her tablet before sliding it across the table.

  


"A list of forms. Sign them all and we can continue our little chat."

  


Kara nodded. However, as she begun to scroll through the first page, her stomach growled loudly. Embarrassed, her eyes flicked up towards Alex. She apologized and gave a shy smile.

Alex's attitude softened even more at the bashful apology from her guest.

  


"You kinda read my mind, actually. I'm starved as well. You like Chinese? We've got a place that—"

"Yes! Please!" Kara interrupted with eager enthusiasm, earning a belly laugh from the Director.

"Alright. Wait here. I'll grab a menu."

  


An hour later, the two were in a serious conversation about portals and the basic science behind them. The room reeked of Chinese food; Alex with her chicken lo mein and Kara with a massive, though somewhat still limited, order of potstickers, fried rice, and beef and broccoli entree. The whole order was reminiscent to Kara, who started to get homesick. This Alex was almost identical to her sister back home, the only exception being that she had no idea who Kara was, and was married to Lena Luthor. Eventually, Kara got side-tracked onto that topic as well.

  


"So...out of curiosity, and off the record of course. You and Lena, huh?"

  


Alex raised a brow, eyeing her suspiciously, but found no malice in the other woman's tone or facial features. Trusting the question to be of genuine interest, she acknowledged it.

  


"Yep. Me and Lena."

"How did you two...I mean, it's great, really. You both are brilliant and heroes in your own way. I just..."

"Never saw it coming?" Alex huffed with amusement. "Yea, you, me, Lena...the whole world too, really."

  


Alex shoved another chopstick full of noodles into her mouth, before rolling her chair close to grab a napkin off the table. The sudden close proximity to Alex, caused Kara's physical reactions to flare up once more. However, she bit down and just held it in. The pain was noticeable at that distance, but wasn't anything she couldn't handle. She winced at first, but then feigned a smile, hoping her actions wouldn't give her away. Luckily, Alex hadn't looked up at her direction. She swiftly grabbed what she needed and wiped her mouth. Though, afterwards, she stayed just as close, leaving Kara to endure the dull pain crawling under her skin, tingling from her toes and up to her scalp. She swore her hair even felt sensitive to the Kryptonite's effects. She needed to find a way to bring up the topic at some point.

Alex looked up at Kara, finding the innocent smile upon the reporter's face. There was just something peculiar about Kara that caught Alex's attention like no other person had, and she was caught up in it. She felt like she knew this person, a long lost friend, or perhaps someone from her childhood. Out of reaction, the Director's guard lowered even more. And as she took in every part of Kara's being, trying to pin-point the familiarity, she suddenly felt like something was bothering the younger woman. Out of reaction, she reached her hand out and placed it on top of Kara's. 

  


"Hey...you okay?"

  


The sudden and honest concern, pricked tears at Kara's eyes. She was very much missing her home. Her heart ached as this Alex kept edging closer and closer to being that person she's leaned on her entire life. However, the sudden closeness was also much different. The pain shooting through her body was only somewhat bearable. Kara shut her eyes tightly, forcing away as much of the pain as she could. Alex's warmth was too comforting and she didn't want to move. However, Kara's pained reaction was noticeable to the Director, and it made Alex worry further. She placed her other hand next to the one she already held, eventually cupping the woman's hand gently.

  


"Hey," she called out a bit louder this time. Kara didn't need to open her eyes to know that Alex was concerned. She heard the slight apprehension in her voice, and it was a familiar tone. "Are you—"

  


Alex was interrupted by the door suddenly flinging open.

  


"Alex, I—"

  


Lena stood agape at the 'moment' she had interrupted. Alex's eyes shot over to her wife, whose stare was not at her own. She followed the line of sight to where Lena's eyes fixated on, ending at where her hands held Kara's...

  


_Oh. Shit._

  


Alex jumped back, her eyes wide and face apologetic. Her words stuttered as they fell from her mouth.

  


"Um...Lena. Hey..."

  


Alex was now standing, her chair had rolled out from under her force, flying back and hitting the wall.

The unexpected arrival and the jolt of Alex's movement startled Kara. Feeling relieved at the distance now between them, and the ache dulling down to nothing, Kara opened her eyes and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. She saw Alex several feet away, rubbing at the back of her neck, eyes focused on the person who walked in. Kara turned her head to the side, finding Lena standing there, arms crossed. Green eyes bore into her; the look turning into an unwelcomed glare.

  


"I came to give you the results of the test," Lena said calmly but stern, as she turned her focus back to her wife. She was clearly bothered by the sudden anxious feeling that was now coursing through her body and twisting in her stomach. Her eyes temporarily turned back to the blonde. Out of habit, she straightened up to automatically exude a sense of power and authority as she crossed the threshold into the room. She watched as Kara cowered a bit; the woman casted her eyes downward, acknowledging the power play and awkwardness of it all. Lena smirked, content at receiving the effect she desired. She then threw her attention back to _her wife_.

"Alex," she said, echoing the same authoritative tone as her body displayed. "Busy?"

  


The question seemed less like a question, and more like a command, suggesting that Alex drop whatever the hell she was up to, and focus her time on her instead.

  


"I um...," Alex's eyes shifted over to Kara, who continued to pretend like she wasn't in the room. The woman's eyes remained focused heavily at her legs as she meticulously brushed away invisible crumbs off her lap.

  


In that brief micro-second, Lena noticed the shift in Alex's attention. And though it was nothing, Lena didn't see it that way. 

  


"Come see _me_ , when you're interested, Director Danvers."

  


Alex quickly looked back up to her wife, whose back now faced her as she walked out the door. Alex knew she was in trouble then. Every bit of Lena's words was laced in quiet anger and discontent.

  


"I'm sorry," Alex finally choked out. "Um...feel free to finish your lunch. I'll be right back."

  


Alex quickly skipped out of the room and hurried to catch up to Lena. By the time she caught up with her, the doors of the elevator was closing. She stopped it with her foot, and hopped inside.

The ride down to the lab was quiet, with neither one wanting to be the first to bring up what had just transpired moments earlier. By the time they reached the intended floor, Alex just shamefully followed Lena into the lab. When the doors closed behind them, Alex mustered up the courage to speak.

  


"So...test results...They're...good?"

  


Lena tossed her tablet onto the work surface and turned towards Alex. Her arms were crossed, displeasure written all over her face. Alex knew immediately that she couldn't just skitter past the topic.

  


"Lee...," she sighed. "Whatever you're thinking. Stop. It's not what it looked like."

"Oh really?" she answered incredulously. "Because you two seemed to be having quite a moment together. Did I interrupt?" she said brazenly.

"There was no moment, Lee," Alex insisted as she stepped closer. "Babe," she said, reaching out so that her hand curled around Lena's upper arm. "There's nothing going on. I swear. Really."

  


Alex had heard of Lena's jealousy before, from her own lips, but had never witnessed it. She'd never given reason for Lena to doubt anything. This was a first.

Lena's voice softened and her body relaxed slightly at the reassurance of Alex's words, but she didn't let the subject go that quickly.

  


"I've never seen you that familiar with anyone other than people who are close to you. Who is she?"

"A reporter that Vasquez took in. She requested to see me. I've never met her before, but...she feels oddly familiar to me. I can't describe it, but...I feel she was just as close as if..."

"As if she was an ex fling?" The words were once more ridden with a bite to them.

"No! No! No! Of course not!"

  


Alex shook her head aggressively. That thought hadn't even crossed her mind. Though, now that it was mentioned, she couldn't help but notice the similarity between the adoration reserved for a girlfriend, and that of the comforting and familiar feeling given by the reporter. However, she knew better than to point that out. Damage control first.

  


"Look, Lee. I'm not hiding anything. I'm actually being really honest. I haven't ever met this woman in my life. But I feel compelled to tell you that...I felt a kinship to her of some sort. I can't explain it, and I'm sorry that whatever you saw us doing back there made you feel uncomfortable. Nothing happened, Lee. I swear."

  


At this point, both of Alex's hands gripped tightly at Lena's shoulders. Her eyes were pleading for some sort of forgiveness. Lena's never known Alex to ever cheat on her before, and never gave her reason to suggest that she would ever do so, so she believed her words and let this slide. For now.

  


"I'll take your word for it," she huffed, before turning away to grab the tablet she had discarded.

"She won't be here much longer," Alex mentioned. "We were about to finish our conversation."

  


Lena ignored the consolation and tapped on the screen without looking up at her. Eventually, she spoke up.

  


"Anything noteworthy I should be aware of? She is a reporter, as you said."

"Kara Kent's her name. And...no. Nothing of concern. I'll be more than happy to tell you everything we talked about, later on tonight."

  


Lena nodded.

After a minute or two of silence, Alex spoke up once more.

  


"So...we're good?"

  


Sighing, Lena looked up into those big brown orbs and saw the remorseful look on her wife's face. She gave a half smile, then leaned in close and placed a swift kiss on her lips.

  


"We're good. For now."

  


Alex nodded happily, and kissed her softly once more, before they broke apart, returning back to business. Lena flipped the tablet to Alex and shared her findings. The Kryptonite production in her system had peaked. The final ratio was about 20%. 

They spoke a bit more about the findings, feeling less concerned that there'd be some setbacks to the serum. But, Lena explained how she wouldn't let up just yet. They needed to keep monitoring her vitals. Alex nodded and accepted the terms. Then, as she headed out the door, Lena's voice stopped her in her tracks.

  


"Alex."

  


The woman turned on her heels at her beckoning.

  


"Behave," Lena said sternly as she raised her brow. There was a tad of playfulness to her tone, but her face spoke with seriousness.

  


Alex smirked and nodded. "Of course, babe. I love you," she added, before heading back on her way.

  



	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
> 
> 
> Guys, it has been a looooong time since the last update. Really sorry about that. Things got crazy and my attention got stolen away. But, I'm back! I found a few chapters in my drafts and I want to finish this fic out, so there should be more regular updates on this story until it's done. (I hope anyway.)
> 
> For everyone that's still reading, thank you for sticking around, and apologies for the delay. Hope you enjoy it! Lemme know what you think!
> 
> Lastly, a very special shout-out goes to my awesome friend, Cap, for doing the beta read, giving me feedback and for all the constant support 💛.
> 
>   
> 
> 
> **Oh, and just as a fair warning, this chapter has some Kalex-y undertones, but I assure you it is not headed in that direction. I have no intentions of introducing that here, but I know some of you may cringe slightly so, heads up. Fwiw, there isn't anything intimate or weird that happens in this chapter. They're just bonding.**
> 
>   
> 

  


A short while later, Alex returned back to the conference room where Kara was waiting.

  


"Hey, I'm so sorry about that," she said while closing the door. "Lena just— You got doughnuts?" she said, curiously eyeing the box of pastry treats that seem to have magically appeared on the conference table.

  


Kara nodded enthusiastically. Her eyes squinted slightly, cringing a bit at the hint of accusation— her larger than humanly possible appetite was always a topic touched on— yet the happiest grin formed on her face as she chewed. Alex couldn't help but smile.

Alex went to grab her seat that had rolled away, while Kara took a sip of her coffee to wash down her food.

  


"I actually saved you one." Kara gave a giddy smile and slid the pastry over on a napkin.

"Vanilla frosting with sprinkles?" Alex's eyes were wide at first, but then her brows furrowed in confusion, which melted away as she shook her head slightly and smiled at the coincidence. "It's funny...that's actually my favorite."

"I know!" Kara said without thinking; her focus was on the tasty treat in front of her.

  


Alex tilted her head.

  


"How'd you know?"

  


Kara took in the look and quickly tried to backtrack.

  


"Oh, um...Winn! Yea, he's the one that um...that brought these in, and he mentioned that you liked that kind." It was only partially true. Though Winn did drop them off at the request of Vasquez — who had been detained on a task she was tending to — he made no such mention. Knowing Alex's favorite, was all Kara.

"Oh."

  


Alex relaxed a bit, buying her answer as she reached for the doughnut. Kara pressed a smile, as she internally scolded herself for being an idiot.

With the small distance between them, Kara continued to feel the dulling pain from the Kryptonite. She ignored it though. She was slowly getting used to it, and got familiar with the amount of space she needed in order to stay somewhat comfortable. At this point, Kara figured that most of the field agents were outfitted with Kryptonite, just in case there were any unexpected visits from their enemies from above.

They talked and laughed after that. Alex assumed the doughnuts were there by Winn's own volition and joked at how he must've taken a liking to her, because he only does things like that for people he had a thing for. Kara giggled at the reminiscent memory of her Winn back home who had done something similar when they had first met. The conversation went easily from there, jumping from random story to story, long forgetting the real reason for them meeting in the first place. At some point, they had been laughing so hard, that Kara snorted loudly and Alex curled up holding her stomach. When they finally settled down, spent from the lack of oxygen and tense muscles, Alex took note of the time. They'd been there for nearly three hours.

  


"Oh wow," Alex said, as she inhaled slowly to catch her breath. "It's past five. We've been here a while."

  


Alex looked at the blonde with surprise, but didn't feel a bit guilty about it. In fact, she enjoyed their time together. She couldn't explain why she felt so connected to the reporter, and why they clicked so well, but she didn't question it. She just soaked up the experience.

  


"Okay, I should probably throw away some of this food that's been laying around. I—" Alex looked at her mostly eaten lo mein. "I didn't realize I ate that much. I'm going to have to work all that off later," she said begrudgingly.

"Oh, you didn't. I stole some. You never finish your meals anywayyy..." Kara dragged on that last syllable as she quickly covered her mouth. She realized she slipped. Again.

"I don't...," Alex said skeptically. "But how did you know that?"

"I um...," Kara quickly searched her hopeless mind for any realistic answer. "Most people don't really. Chinese food portions are generally so generous...I don't know a lot of people that finish them."

  


Kara shrugged with a guilty grin.

Once more, Alex let it slide.

  


"That's true. Lena never finishes hers either. We always have leftovers the next day..."

  


Alex grabbed all the trash and placed it into the plastic bag it was delivered in. Instinctively, she balled up a napkin and threw it at Kara's face.

  


"Just don't eat my food without asking first next time," she scolded mockingly.

  


And just like that, Kara felt at home. She grabbed the napkin, plus some others, and tossed it back at Alex's direction. The two giggled and darted across the room like kids. At some point, Alex ducked down to grab more "ammo", but Kara snuck up behind her and pulled her into a bear hug to prevent her from moving. Alex flinched from the pressure on her arms and the bruises on her body, but swallowed the pain down. She wasn't about to be bested.

  


"You're my captive now!" Kara yelled. "Surrender!"

"Never!"

  


Alex tried to wrestle free, and did. Quickly. It surprised Kara at first since her sister hadn't ever been able to do so before, but then remembered that she was still under the effect of Lena's blue serum. Plus, she had to admit that she felt that same intense burn in her body and had to let go sooner than she'd like. That damn Kryptonite. How she wished she could just rip it off of Alex.

After a while, they finally straightened up and did eventually tidy the space. The room reeked of oily take-out and sweet pastries, but at least it was put back together again. As their time with each other wound down, for the first time, they had found themselves in the midst of an awkward silence.

  


"So, I um...," Alex grinned, shook her head and breathed out a huff of amusement. "This was um...fun. Unexpected, but...fun."

"Totally."

  


Forgetting once more about the Kryptonite on Alex's body, Kara let out an endearing smile and came forward to engulf Alex in her arms. The warm scent and familiar feeling contrasted with the strained, pulsating pain of her body. She hated it and immediately let go; the embrace was over in a blink of an eye.

Because of its brevity, Alex didn't pay much mind to it, assuming that Kara was just one of those people that liked hugging everyone. She didn't admit how good it felt though. She was slightly startled at how comforting it felt, despite how short it was.

  


"Um...I hope that I gave you the answers you were looking for. I don't really remember how much of the topic we even touched on," Alex said, furrowing her brows as she tried to recall. Kara did as well. She realized then, that she barely got any information out of Alex that was useful. What little they did touch upon, were hypotheticals and theories, mixed in with jokes. She never even got to confirm if the DEO had done any portal jumps themselves or had access to any of the devices required to do so.

"You're right, now that I think about it. I might have more questions actually..."

"I'm sorry, Kara, but...I can't spare another moment. I have a few things to take care of before I meet up with Lena this evening. She'll kill me if I'm late. Maybe another time?"

  


Alex was hopeful. She wasn't that upset about not being able to give Kara all the answers she needed. If she had her way, she'd probably skip the paperwork that was sitting on her desk and ask Kara out for drinks instead.

  


_Oh._

  


And for the first time that afternoon, some of the pieces fell into place, alarming Alex. She was growing too fond, too quickly. She hadn't felt like that about someone since her time with Lena and...

  


_Oh._

  


But she couldn't like her like _that_. She wasn't even attracted to her. Alex had to admit that the reporter was pretty and sweet, but not her type, and she wasn't even interested in her, so this was all sorts of confusing for the director. Lost in this new development, Alex was startled out of her thoughts when Kara shoved a napkin into her hand. It had her number.

  


"Call me when you've got a second. I'm still very interested in the portal theory and...you never really told me much about the DEO's involvement with it. If any technology even exists."

  


Alex blinked a few times and stared at the napkin, which she quickly crumpled into her hand, then stared up at Kara.

  


"Um...yea..." Alex was suddenly full of guilt and regret. "I guess we can set some time up to meet here again. Or if I'm busy, perhaps my second-in-command, Lucy Lane can fill you in..."

  


Kara frowned slightly. Although that would've been fine, she definitely preferred her sister's company. Upon seeing that somewhat disappointed look, Alex took note. It didn't escape her notice, which added to the uncomfortable idea of what was happening between them.

  


"Um...I should probably get going...I'll walk you out." Alex gestured for the door and Kara reluctantly followed.

  


Kara noticed the sudden change in Alex's mood and was bothered by it. She wasn't sure what she may have said to cause it, since they were getting along so well. She had to ask.

  


"Alex, is everything okay?" Kara's voice was soft and concerning. She reached out to touch her arm, knowing that the Kryptonite would cause her reaction to flare up again, but she didn't care. However, upon doing so, this time, it was Alex that pulled away.

"Um...I'm fine, Kara. I just—I remembered something that I have to tend to so my mind's a bit absent. Sorry."

  


Alex started to rub the back of her neck as she gave Kara an apologetic look. She may not be Kara's Alex, but Kara could still tell that she was lying. Something was bothering her. She wanted to press on, but she figured she shouldn't jeopardize things any further. Just then, they heard the clicking of heels, followed by a familiar voice.

  


"Alex."

  


The two women turned to see Lena standing there. She slowly approached Alex's side and placed a hand on her shoulder and noticed the nervousness in the way Alex looked. Her eyes were apologetic and worried, and her lips were pressed into a line, slightly turning downward. It was enough to send Lena a message of how uncomfortable her wife was at this moment. Lena straightened up then, with a firm look on her face as she strategically shifted her hand to snake around Alex's waist. Standing there, side-by-side, she eyed the reporter.

  


"Ms. Kent, I think you've manipulated enough of Director Danvers' time today. I hope you found the information you needed for your...story."

  


The hesitation on finding the right word wasn't lost on Kara. She felt the condescending nature of Lena's words. Between the way she stood and the way she was acting, Kara knew she wasn't on Lena's good side.

  


"Now, if you don't mind," she continued. "We have business to attend to. There _is_ a war out there. Some of us have a job to do."

"Right, right. Of course. I'm sorry. I just—"

"I believe Agent Vasquez can show you out. She's waiting for you down the hall."

  


To both Alex's and Kara's surprise, they peered down the way and noticed that Vasquez was there, waiting. Alex wondered if Lena had already planned to pull her out of her meeting with Kara, had they still been in the conference room.

  


"Um...thank you."

  


Kara looked over to Alex, and when their eyes met, Alex nodded and glanced downwards to where her arms were crossed over her chest.

  


"It was nice to meet you, Lena," Kara said shyly as she then turned to face the brunette.

"Mrs. Luthor is fine. _Mrs. Danvers_ is even better." Lena didn't back away. Her stare was burning through Kara as she was trying to make a point. Although her name wasn't formally changed to Mrs. Danvers due to her need to keep it associated to her company, Lena had wanted nothing more than to change her hated surname to that of her beloved.

  


Kara heeded Lena's words, picking up on how Lena's tone was somewhat aggressive. It saddened her though, knowing that her best friend seemed more like an enemy here on this Earth. However, she just had to keep reminding herself how it shouldn't matter. Her home awaits. There, her sister and best friend would be waiting for her. She then picked up her head and nodded in Lena's direction.

  


"Right. Apologies, Mrs. Danvers." Kara smiled. She glanced once more at Alex, then turned on her way. As she walked down the hallway to meet her escort, she missed the smirk that formed on Lena's face.

  


**Author's Note:**

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> As always, happy to hear your thoughts.
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> Feel free to leave a comment, or find me on [Tumblr](https://dreamsescapeus.tumblr.com/).
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